Circular knitting machine



April 4, 1944. T. c. BROMLEY ET AL ,CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE 3Sheets-Sheei 1 Filed Oct. 1, 1942 l/VVENTORS,

April 4 1'. c. BROMLEY ETAL 2,345,698

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed 001:. l, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 2jwmmmzwwjw April 1944- 'r. c. BROMLEY EI'AL CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE 3Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Oct. 1, 1942 I/Vl/f/V 70/95 w .1 a m K n 1.:

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ATTORNEY Patented A r. 4, 1944 CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE,

Thomas Charles Bromley and Arthur vShortland, Leicester, EnglandApplication October 1 1942, Serial No. 460,429

In Great Britain October 20, 1941 13 Claims. (Cl. 66150) This inventionrelates to circular knitting machines of the kind adapted to producetubular knitted fabric or strings of articles with pouches.

The invention is applicable with advantage to circular rib knittingmachines for producing the application thereto of one form of the im-'ribbed or partly ribbed articles of footwear in the proved tensioningmeans including a circular knitting of which difficulty is normallyexperiseries of fabric engaging members, enced in producing clearrib'kni'tting following Figure 2 is a detail plan view depicting the theformation of a pouch. This is so, for instance, layout of the saidmembers, in the knitting of a rib top following the forma- Figure 3 is aview similar to Figure 1 illustrattion of a toe pouch. It is found that'due to the ing another example embodying a single fabricunequal pull ofthe take-up mechanism on the engaging member, h work, owing to thepresence of a pouch formed Figure 4 is a plan viewpartly in sectiontakenimmediately preceding production of rib fabric, I on the line IV-IVof=Figure Sshowing this mem-, loop accumulation or tucking is apt tooccur 5 her and also the carrier disc upon which it is. when ribknitting is commenced after formamounted, and 4 tion of the pouch.Figures 5 and dare two views somewhat similar Accordingly, the principalobject of the presto Figures 3 and 4 respectively showing a modie.- entinvention is to provide improved means defication in whicha singlefabric engag signed to obviate the foregoing disadvantage by her isactuated through the medium of rack and tensioning the work afterformation of a pouch. pinion mechanism. 4 It is principally theintention to apply the in- Like parts are designated by similarreference. vention to circular knitting machines of the charactersthroughout the drawings. double axially opposed needle cylinder type InFigure 1, the upper portion of the bottom or adapted to produce articlescomprising rib tops, plain cylinder of themachine is indicated. at 2,leg and foot portions, and heel and toe pouches whereas the lowerportion of the axially opposed as the result of continuous operation.The in rib cylinder component is shown at 3. In accord-, vention may,however, be usefully applied to other e W th u to y pr e, the machine icircular knitting machines of the kind conequipped with inside sinkersor web holders, such cerned--rib and plain. as 4, which are mountedwithin a sinker ring or Broadl considered, the improved tensioning bed 5secured to the .bottom or plain cylinder 2. means include a fabricengaging member or The sinkers or web holders are operatedby camsmembers which or each of which is adapted, upheld in position by asinker cup 6 of conventional On being engaged with an appropriateportion of form. This cup has a curved surface 6a to supthe work duringthe formation or after the comport the fabric f as it leaves the needlesportions pletion of a pouch, to move as knitting proceeds of whichlatter are indicated diagrammatically suchwise as to enable itsoperative extremity to at l. A cylindrical part 8 constituting a vergeis conform to the path followed by the fabric as it mounted within thelower end of and adapted to leaves the needles. rotate with the ribcylinder 3. The verge 6 is The principal aim, then, is the provision ofa adjustable axially for which purpose it is carried fabric engagingmember or members which or by a centraltube 9 movable up and down withineach of which, when in engagement with'a porthe rib cylinder, e. g., bya lever (not shown) tion of the knitted fabric following a completedunder suitable automatic control. But although pouch, has a movement, inaddition to being it is movable axially, the verge tube '9 is fixed somoved bodily in a direction necessary to apply far as rotary movement isconcerned. A ball tension to the work between the pouch and the bearing'lfl'is accordingly provided in the manner knitting needles, whereby theoperative end of shown between the verge and the verge tube and themember closely follows the aforesaid path the latter issecured at itslower "end to the ball and thereby effectively tensions the work as itis I ,race cover H. The underside of the verge is re'- drawn off theneedles through the needle cylincessed at 8a. der, or the appropriateneedle cylinder, as the In accordance with the present invention a casemay be. circular series of fabric engaging elements 12' Particularillustrative examples of the invenlocated on the inside of the needlecircle is protion as applied to a machine of the characteristic vided.These elements are inth'e form of "levers type having superimposedrotary needle cylinders pivotallymo'unted at theirinn'er ends in an ape.

will now be described with reference to the accompanying' drawings,wherein,

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of so much vof the said machineasis necessary to illustrate ponent concentrically therewith and isslidable through the verge tube 9 for causing the fabric engagingelements l2 to apply tension to the work in the required manner, and forrestoring the carrier to its normal inoperative position at appropriatetimes. For the sake of convenience in illustration, the carrier 13 isshown in two halves in Figure 1, the left-hand half being raised withthe fabric engaging elements in their normal inoperative positions andthe right-hand half being depressed with the said elements in.

contact with the fabric Secured to the underside of the verge 8 is alongitudinally grooved cam part I! of downwardly tapered form having aslightly outwardly curved surface. An axial hole I8 is formed in thiscam part to enable the rod Hi to pass downwardly right through it, thelower portion of the 'hole being reduced and made square at |8a toafford support and guid- V ance for the said rod. The cam part l1,moreover, is formed with a series of radially disposed grooves I 9 eachfor accommodation of the upper end of one of the pivoted fabric engagingelements l2. That is to say, in their normal inoperative positions, the,elements l2 project up through the grooves l9 with their rear edges l2ain contact with the outwardly curved backs: or bottoms of the groovesI9. As will be seen in Figure 1, the said grooves are of uniform depthbut, owingto the form of the cam, part H, are inclined so as to convergein a downward direction towards the central longitudinal axis a of themachine. .The upper, i. e., operative, ex-

tremities of the lever-like elements l2 may conveniently be formed toprovide spatulate presser feet lZb for engagement with the work (seeFigure 2). Between their ends the elements are notched or recessed forreception of an annular spring band 20 which surrounds the elements andserves to maintainwtheir rear edges In in engagement with the backs orbottoms of the grooves 19. The rear edge [2a of each element is curvedsuchwise as to provide a cam formation for contact and co-operation withthe outwardly curved back or bottom of the corresponding groove in thecam part 11. The carrier I3 is normally held up in contact with thebottom of the cam part at such a height or level that the presser feetl2a are disposed well up in the recess 8a beneath the verge 8-clear ofthe fabric ,1. as shown at the left-hand side of Figure 1.

When, however, the rod [6 is caused to nove downwards through thecentral verge tube 9 and the cam part H, the rear edges in of thefabricengaging elements l2 slide over the curved backs or bottoms of thecorresponding grooves [9 with the result that the elements are permittedto turn on the pivot ring l4 under the influence of the'annular springband 29, whereby the presser feet swinginwards and are thus enabled tocon form closely to the contour of the sinker cup 6 as they come intocontact with and apply tension to the work. Duringsuch downwardmovement.

of the rod [5 the elements I2 are withdrawn from the grooves l9 andconsequently from the control of the cam part [1, whereupon their inwardturning movement is arrested by reason of their rear edges coming intocontact with the backs or bottoms of the grooves I30. in the carrier I3,as shown at the right-hand side of Figure 1.

Conversely, as the rod Hiis raised again, the fabric engaging elementsi2 re-enter the grooves l9 and are gradually cammed out against thespring action until they assume their inoperative positions. The rod I6is adapted to be automatically operated and controlled from the maintiming or controlling mechanism of the machine,

a or from a subsidiary mechanism controlled by or from the mainmechanism, for example through the medium of levers or/and linkage orequivalent intermediate connections. The rod and the associatedoperating and controlling means are preferably loaded, e. g., by springmeans, so as to enable the tension to be yieldingly applied.

When restoring the carrier l3 to its normal raised position, care must,of course, be taken to ensure that the presser feet l2a do not drag uponand thereby cause damage to the fabric 1.

To guard against this the presser feet may themselves be made yieldable.

ward movement of the rod.

In the further example illustrated in Figures 3 and 4, a single fabrictensioning member 2| of mainly rectangular form is employed. As shown inFigure 4, however, the serrated operative extremity 2|a of this memberis curved and splayed outwardly and bent downwards somewhat. The memberis slidably mounted upon a carrier disc 22 which latter is secured tothe lower end of a square section operating rod It. The carrier disc may(as shown) or may not itself also be adapted to function for fabrictensioning purposes. able tensioning member 2! is forked at 2th toaccommodate the rod 16 and the said member is arranged to slide betweena pair of screws 23 (or equivalent) appropriately disposed on thecarrier disc 22. As will be seen in Figure 3, the operating rod 15passes up through a square hole formed in a washer 24 secured to'theunderside of the axially adjustable verge 8, so that the tensioningmember 2| is maintained in correct relation to pouch fabric beingknitted. As in the previously described example, the verge is providedwith a co-axial verge tube 9 and the operating rod extends up throughthis tube and is subject to suitable automatic control. Se.- cured tothe verge 8 is a cam or like part such as 25 which extends through aslot 2lc in the slidable tensioning member 2!. Normally the lastmentioned member and it carrier disc 22 are located closely beneath theverge in the recess 8a with the tensioning member projected well beyondthe inner wall ofqthe sinker cup 6 as indicated in full lines in Figure3. Immediately upon a pouch being knitted, however, the operating rod l5together with the carrier disc 22 is lowered to bring the fabrictensioning member 2! into engagement with and to apply tension to theappropriate portion of the knitted fabric 1, whereupon the said memberis simultaneously caused to slide radially inwards by action of the camor like part 25 within the slot 2 la. The lowered position of the disc22 is indicated in dot-and-dash lines in Figure ,3.

Alternatively, they- .may be moved clear of the fabric prior to up- Theinner end of the slidassaess To enable the described movements to takeplace, the forward portion of the :carrier disc 22 has formed thereinanopen-ended slot 22a to receive the cam or like part '25. Thus,by reasonof the rod being lowered the fabric engaging member 2| has impartedthereto a compound movement the initial stage of w'hich'br'ings it intoengagementwith the work after which the member, still sliding inwardsuntil it is just within the inner wall of the sinker cup '6, conforms tothe pathfollowed by the fabric leaving the needles. Upon the partsbeingrestored to their inoperativeposition by raising the operating rod, theslidable fabric engaging member 2| is automatically projected radiallyoutwards,by the cam Y or like part '25, in readiness for further use. Toeffect the required sliding movements of the fa ric engaging member, ina positive mannergthe cam or like part may, as shown, be so shaped as tohave a straight inwardly inclined portion 25a, a downwardly directedportion 25b and an intermediate curved portion 250.

According to the still further example illustrated in Figures 5 and -6,the fabric tensioning means comprise a single member '26 which-isadapted to be actuated by a suitably controlled operating rod 21 throughthe medium of rack and pinion mechanism. The tensioning member 26 isattached to two parallel guide bars '28 and 29 which are supportedbetween spaced "carrier discs 3'!) and 31 secured upon the operating rod21. The guide bars 28 and29 are arranged to slide between pairs of small,rollers 32 carried by the spaced discs. Moreover, at its inner end eachof the guide bars is formedwith 'a shoulder 33 designed to come intocontact with one of the rollers 32 to limit outward sliding movement ofthe 'tensioning member 26 at 'appropriate'time's. The operating rod 27extends vertically downwards into the bottom or plain cylinder 2 .of themachine through a verge tube 34 mounted coaxia'lly upon the adjustabletop verge "8 associated with the top or rib cylinder 3. A guide rod 35depending from the said verge and extending through the carrier disc 30and 3| .serves to prevent turning motion of the latter and therebymaintains the slidable tensioning member 26 in correct relation to pouchfabric being knitted.

A nut 35 which is screwed onto the lower end of the verge tube 34 islocated beneath the top verge 8 for a purpose hereinafter to beexplained. The underside of the said top verge is recessed at 8:1 andnormally accommodates the carrier discs and tensioning member. The innerside of the guide bar 29 is toothed to provide a rack for co-operationwith a pinion 31 mounted to turn freely upon the operating rod 21. A.screw 38 formed integrally with or rigidlysecured to this pinion 3! isengaged with a nut 39 having a "multi-start thread. As will be seen inFigure 5. this nut is pinnedby means of a cotter pin Al to the lower endof the operating rod 21. The construction and arrangement is such thatupon the operating rod being depressed the carrier discs 30 and 3!arelowered until the tensioning member 26 rests on the fabric. Furtherdepression of the rod will thereupon cause the nut 3.9 with multi-startthread to rotate the screw 38 and hence also the pinion 31 so that thetensioning member 25 will slide radially inwards to follow the path ofthe fabric. When, however, the carrier discs and the tensioning memberare again restored tonormal inoperative position .within the recess .81;in the top verge, by raising the operating rod .21, the pinion 31.

ities of which are directed towards the needles,

a common carrier-for said members, means for moving the carrier axiallyWithin the needle cylinder, and means for effecting inward radialmovement of said members on the inside of the needle circle, conjointlywith axial movement of the carrier, as knitting'proceeds, whereby theoperative extremities aforesaid have imparted to them a compoundmovement conforming with the path followed by the work as it leaves theneedl'es, for the purpose of applying tension to said work.

2. In a circular knitting machine 'of the kind herein referred to, incombination, a cylinder,

needles in said cylinder, a sinker ring associated with the cylinder,arcuate inside sinkers mounted in said ring, a sinker cup forholdingcams for operating the sinkers, said cup having a curvedfabric-supporting surface, a circular series of fabric tensioningmembers the operative ends of which are normally directed towards theneedles, a carrier wherein the said members are,

pivotally-mounteda rod movable axially within the needle cylinder and towhich the carrier is attached, a relatively fixed cam part havingtherein longitudinal grooves "through which the fabric tensioningmembers extend, and spring means for normally maintaining the saidmembers in contact with the cam part, the construction and arrangementbeing such that when the rod is moved axially in the appropriatedirection within the needle cylinder to effect application of tension tothe work as it is drawn off the ne'edles, the rear edges of the fabrictensioning membersslide over the backs of the aforesaid grooves with theresult that the members are permitted to turn the influence of thespring meanssu'chwise that their operative ends swing inwards andthereby have a compound movement conforming with the contour of thefabric-supporting sur- "face of the sinker cup,

for the purpose herein specified.

3. In a circular knitting machine of the kind herein referred to, incombination, a plain needle opposed rib needle cylinder, said cylinders,a sinker ring cylinder, an axially carried by the'said ciated-with therib plain cylinder, a verge assomovable along the'cyli-nde'r axis and towhich the carrier is attached, a cam part secured to the underside ofthe verge and gitudinal grooves through which the fabric tensioningmembers extend, andgspring means for normally maintaining the saidmembers in "con- Consequently, further upward movement 10f cylinder,arcuate inside sin'kers provided in the sinker ring, a sinker cup forholding cams for operating the sinkers, said cup having therein lon-'tact with the cam part, said cam part being formed with an axial holethrough which the operating rod extends, the construction andarrangement being such that when the operating rod is moved downwards toeffect application of tension to the work as it is drawn off theneedles, the rear edges of the fabric tensioning members slide over thebacks of the aforesaid grooves with the result that the members arepermitted to turn under the influence of the spring means suchwise thattheir operative ends swing inwards and thereby have a compound movementconforming with the contour of the fabric-supporting surface of thesinker cup.

4. In a circular knitting machine of the'kind herein referred to, incombination, a cylinder, needles in said cylinder, a fabric tensioningmemher the operative extremity of which is directed towards the needles,a disc upon which the said member is slidably mounted, a rod whichcarries the disc and is movable along the cylinder axis, means formoving the rod axially within the needle cylinder, and means foreffecting inward sliding movement of the tensioning member radially n.th'efinsideof the needle circle, conjointly with movement of the rod insuch a direction as to apply tension tothe work, as knitting proceeds,

cylinder, an axially opposed rib needle cylinder,

needles operable in said cylinders, a sinker ring carried by the saidplain cylyinder, a verge associated with the rib cylinder, arcuateinside sinkers provide in the sinker ring, a sinker cup for holdforkedand its outer operative extremity directed towards the needles, a dischaving thereon a pair of elements between which the fabric tensioningmember is arranged to slide, a rod which carries the disc and isaccommodated in the forked end of the said member, means for moving therod axially along the cylinder axis, and a cam which is secured to theverge and extends through the slot in the fabric tensioning member, saidcam being so formed for co-operation with the said member as to effectan inward sliding movement of the same radially on the inside of theneedle circle, conjointly with movement of the rod in such direction asto apply tension to the work, as

whereby the operative extremity aforesaid has'imparted toit a compoundmovement conforming with'the path followed by the said work as it leavesthe needles. v

'5. In a circular knitting machine of the kind hereinreferred to, incombination, a cylinder, needles in said cylinder, a sinker ringassociated with the cylinder, arcuate inside sinkers provided in saidring, a sinker cup holding cams for operating the sinkers, said cuphaving a curved fabric-supporting surface, a fabric tensioning' memberthe operative portion of which is .di

rected towards the needles, a disc upon which said member is slidablymounted, a rod which carries the disc and is movable'along the cylinderaxis, means for moving the rod axially within the needle cylinder, andrelatively fixed cam means adapted for co-operation with the fabricfltensioning member suchwise as to effect an in ward sliding movement ofthe same radially on the inside of the needle circle, conjointly withmovement of the rod in such direction as to apply tension to the work,as knitting proceeds, whereby the operative extremity aforesaid hasimparted to it a compound movement conform-- ing with the contour of thefabric-supporting surface of the sinker cup.

6 In a circular knitting machine of the kind herein referred to, incombination, a cylinder, needles in said cylinder, a fabric tensioningmemher which has its inner end forked and its outer operative extremitydirected towards the needles, a disc having thereon a pair of elementsbetween which the fabric tensioning member is arranged to slide, a rodwhich carries the disc and is accommodated in the forked end of the saidmember, means for moving the rod axially along the cylinder axis, andmeans for effecting inward sliding movement of the tensioning memberradially on the inside of the needle circle, conjointly with movement ofthe rod in such a direction asto apply tensionto thework, as knittingproceeds,

whereby the operative extremity aforesaid has imparted to it a compoundmovement conforming withthe path followed by the said work as-it leavesthe needles.

7; In a circular knitting machine of the kind herein referred to, incombination, a plain needle knitting proceeds, whereby the operativeextremity aforesaid has imparted to it a compound movement conformingwith the contour of the fabricably mounted, a rod which carries the discand is movable along the cylinder axis, means for moving the rod.axially within the needle cylinder, and rack and pinion means which areso arranged between the rod and the slidable member as to be adapted toeffect an inward sliding movement of the same radially on the inside ofthe needle circle,

conj'ointly with movement of the rod in such directionas to applytension to the work, as knitting proceeds, whereby the operativeextremity aforesaid has imparted to it av compound movement conformingwith the contour of the fabric-supporting surface of the sinker cup.

9. In a circular knitting machine of the kind herein referred to, incombination, a cylinder, needles in said cylinder, a sinker ringassociated with the cylinder, arcuate inside sinkers provided in saidring, a sinker cup holding cams for operating the sinkers, said cuphaving a curved fabricsupporting surface, a fabric tensioning member theoperative end of which is directed towards the needles, parallel guidebars to which said mem-' her is attached and one of which bars istoothed to provide a rack, spaced carrier discs between which said guidebars are slidably supported, an operating rod movable within and axiallywith respect to the cylinder, apinion which is mounted to rotate freelyupon the rod and adapted for cooperation with the aforesaid rack, a notwhich is secured to said rod, and a screw which rotates with the pinionand co-operates with the nut,

the construction and arrangement being such which fabric is supportedand caused to follow an inward path as it leaves said needles, a movablefabric engaging member the operative extremity of which is directedtowards the needles, a carrier for said member, means for moving thecarrier axially within the needle cylinder to bring the fabric engagingmember into engagement with the work and thereupon to cause said memberto apply tension to the same, and controlling means for effecting inwardradial movement or" said member on the inside of the needle circle,conjointly with said axial movement of the carrier, as knittingproceeds, whereby after being engaged with an appropriate portion of thework the operative extremity aforesaid has imparted to it a compounddownward and radially inward movement conforming with the aforesaid pathfollowed by the work, for the purpose described.

11. In a circular knitting machine of the kind herein referred to, incombination, a cylinder, needles for operation in said cylinder, asinker ring associated with the cylinder, inside sinkers mounted in saidring, a sinker cup for holding cams for operating the sinkers, said cuphaving a fabric-supporting surface whereby fabric is caused to follow aninward path as it leaves the needles, a movable fabric engaging memberthe operative extremity of which is directed towards the needles, acarrier for said member, means for moving the carrier axially within theneedle cylinder suchwise as to bring the fabric engaging member intoengagement with the work and thereupon to cause said member to applytension to the same, and controlling means for effecting inward radialmovement of said member on the inside of the needle circle, conjointlywith axial movement of the carrier, as knitting proceeds, whereby afterbeing engaged with an appropriate portion of the work the operativeextremity aforesaid has imparted to it a compound downward and radiallyinward movement conforming with the contour of the fabric-supportingsurface of the sinker cup, for the purpose described.

12. In a circular knitting machine of the kind herein referred to, incombination, a cylinder, needles in said cylinder, a pivotaliy mountedfabric engaging member the operative extremity of which is directedtowards the needles, a carrier for said member, means for moving thecarrier axially Within the needle cylinder, and means for effectinginward radial movement of said member on the inside of the needlecircle, conjointly with axial movement of the carrier, as knittingproceeds, whereby the operative extremity aforesaid has imparted to it acompound movement conforming with the path followed by the work as itleaves the needles, for the purpose of applylng tension to said work.

13. In a circular knitting machine of the kind herein referred to, incombination, a cylinder, needles in said cylinder, a slidably mountedfabric engaging member the operative extremity of which is directedtowards the needles, a carrier for said member, means for moving thecarrier axially within the needle cylinder, and means for effectinginward radial movement of said member on the inside of the needlecircle, conjointly with axial movement of the carrier, as knittingproceeds, whereby the operative extremity aforesaid has imparted to it acompound movement conforming with the path followed by the work as itleaves the needles, for the purpose of applying tension to said work.

THOMAS CHARIES BROMLEY. ARTHUR SHORTLAND. a

